Optical fiber interconnection links usually include a pair of optical fiber connectors that are mated by installation on an optical fiber adapter. For example, a fiber connector can be snapped or screwed into the adapter so that the connector mates with another connector which can also be snapped or screwed into the adapter. The adapter is constructed to mate respective connectors which are installed on the adapter in precise registered alignment, such that the end faces of the fibers of the respective connectors face each other, are coaxial and are in precisely spaced relationship, to ensure relatively lossless optical energy transfer between the fibers.
It is well known that the optical signal transmission level and quality between optical fibers of mated fiber connectors can become degraded if microscopic particles, dust or debris, which may be present in the air to which the connectors are exposed, accumulates on the end face of an optical fiber of one of the connectors and the end face is not cleaned before the connector holding such fiber is mated with the fiber connector holding the other optical fiber to form an optical fiber interconnection link. Therefore, it is common practice to clean the exposed end face of the fiber in each of the connectors to be mated before the connectors are installed on an adapter.
Currently known optical fiber adapters, however, do not protect the end face of the fiber of a connector which has been installed on the adapter from accumulating microscopic particles, dust or debris when only that connector is installed on the adapter. Oftentimes, a fiber connector which has been mated to another fiber connector using an optical adapter will be removed from the adapter and the connector that remains installed on the adapter will not be immediately mated with another fiber connector. The end face of the fiber of the connector remaining installed on the adapter in this circumstance is, therefore, unprotected. If particles, dust or debris which may be present in the air to which the remaining connector is exposed accumulates on the end face of the fiber, optical signal transmission between the fiber of the remaining connector and a fiber of another connector to which the remaining connector is subsequently mated can be adversely affected.
Although the end face of a fiber of a single connector that has been installed on an adapter, but is not mated to another connector, can be cleaned, for example, by inserting a thin swab into the area of the adapter which is unoccupied, because only the single connector is installed thereon, and by wiping the end face of the fiber with the swab, such a procedure can be time consuming, tedious, painstaking and ineffective. It has been found that the end face of the fiber of the single, unmated connector which has been installed on the adapter can become so dirty that cleaning by wiping the end face of the fiber with a swab or a wipe is ineffective. In such circumstances, the connector must be removed from the adapter, or the adapter including the connector must be removed from the front panel or backplane of optical instrumentation equipment to which the adapter typically has been mounted by screws and then further disassembled, to allow for proper cleaning of the end face of the fiber of the connector. It is well known, however, that after an optical adapter is mounted to the panel of optical instrumentation equipment, the adapter is not easily removed from the equipment because of the construction of the equipment or because obstructions near or surrounding the equipment can make removal of the adapter cumbersome, difficult and time consuming.
Therefore, there is a need for an optical fiber connector assembly which allows for ease of and adequate cleaning of the end face of an optical fiber of a connector which has been installed in the assembly without removing the assembly from equipment to which it has been mounted or without disassembling part of or the entire assembly or removing the connector from the assembly; which protects against the accumulation of particles, dust or debris on the end face of the fiber of a connector which has been installed in the assembly while the connector is not mated to another connector; and which can receive an optical adapter to provide for precise registered mating within the assembly between a connector installed in the assembly and another fiber connector, where each of the connectors can be selected from a plurality of fiber connector styles.